Shock
by Agent Malkere
Summary: What was going on in Tempe's mind after Booth got 'blown up? Missing and extended scenes from Two Bodies in the Lab. BoothBrennan all the way! Please review! This is my 1st Bones fanfic! Chapter 12 up!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones. Also, I'm broke, so please don't sue!

_Takes place during Two Bodies in the Morgue_

"Oh, there are glasses in the cupboard." Bones began to turn back towards the stereo still smiling, then she froze. She felt the explosion before she ever actually her it. Tempe spun on her heal just in time to see Agent Seeley Booth land hard on the floor and then her fridge door landed with a crushing blow on his chest.

_No..._ Tempe grabbed the edge the rug on the floor, dragging it over to smother the flames burning on Booth's chest. He was mercifully unconscious; Bones searched with numb, trembling fingers for her cell phone. What had happened? What was going on? Hands shaking she dialed 9-1-1 into her cell phone. That explosion - it had been meant for her... but Booth had triggered it instead. Now he might die because he was trying to protect her...

Bones gingerly brushed her fingers across the FBI agents forehead as she explained her situation to the 9-1-1 operator. Her chest felt tight, she could barely breathe.

"We'll have an ambulance there in a few minutes. Keep an eye on his pulse and don't try to move that door!" Bones hung up; she needed to phone the Jeffersonian, but she couldn't think strait. Every time Tempe closed her eyes she heard the explosion again; saw Booth fly across the room, flames following him... She bent down and whispered into Booth's ear, even though she knew he couldn't hear her,

"They're coming, Booth. You hang on; it's going to be alright." She wasn't thinking logically, Bones knew that, but she couldn't do anything else. Tempe's lips moved from his ear to gently brush against his cheek, then his lips. She could feel the tears in her eyes, but she refused to shed them,

"Hang on, Booth. Hang on, Seeley," Bones gulped slightly and unexpected words flooded from her mouth, "I don't know what I'd do without you..."

_Please review! Tell me what you think! Oh, I apologize for my horrible spelling... my computer is malfunctioning and sorta _removed _spell check... _


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Bones.

_A/N: As pointed out to me, this story takes place during Two Bodies in the _Lab_ (not the Morgue)! Oops... _

Special Agent Seeley Booth knew that he should probably be waking up, but his mind was pleasantly drifting on the narrow boundary between wakefulness and unconsciousness and Booth had a feeling that he would not be _nearly_ so comfortable once he gained full awareness. Why would that be? Booth struggled to remember what had happened before he'd fallen asleep – he had the nagging feeling that it had been something very important…. Dim memories of Bones's apartment drifted to the surface of his mind. He had been worried about her safety after the shooting – that must have been why he was at her apartment…. They'd been listening to music…. That irritating bastard, David, that Bones had met on the internet phoned…. Booth had gone over to the fridge to get something… then a loud bang… and nothing. A loud bang… it must have been some sort of explosion…. Bones! Was Bones alright? What had happened to her?

At that thought, Booth's eyes snapped open. Well, they actually slowly parted in the irritating manner eyes tend to use after extended periods of unconsciousness. The room he was in slowly swam into focus just as the pain hit him. Every inch of his body screamed at once; some more noticeably than others. He could almost hear Bones in his head listing the name of every bone in the human body then telling him that bones don't scream. Seeley quickly scanned the hospital room for his favorite forensic anthropologist trying not to move his head. Where was she? A slight stirring on the edge of his peripheral vision caught Booth's attention and glancing to his right, the F.B.I. agent quietly let out the breathe he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Curled up in the chair right next to Booth's bed was the stubborn doctor herself and she appeared to be miraculously unscathed. How long had Bones been sitting there? …How long had he been unconscious?

Bones stirred again, and then sat up rubbing her eyes and stifling a yawn. She glanced over at Booth and smiled when she saw he was awake. Booth tried to return the smile, but stopped when his face protested.

"Hey, Bones," his voice was hoarse and annoyingly quiet from dehydration.

"Hey," Bones looked stressed and fatigued and her clothes had the rumpled appearance of being slept in.

"You alright? What happened?"

"You got blown up. Apparently, there was a bomb wired in my refrigerator to go off when the door was opened," she said the words in the detached, matter-of-fact, scientific manner that she used when she discussed murder victims.

"But you, are _you_ alright?"

"Yes, Booth, I'm fine."

_That was close… too close_, Booth thought. _As soon as I get my hands on a phone, I'm calling Kenton to keep an eye on her. I could have lost her today and I nearly did…. I don't know what I'd do without her…. _

_Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive!_


	3. Chapter 3

F.B.I. agent Jamie Kenton frowned as he tried to focus on driving and hold his gun on the forensic anthropologist next to him. It was a shame really; he had never intended it to go this far, but what else was he suppose to do? It wasn't as though he could have made the incriminating bones of his first victim be 'unfound.' It didn't work like that. Still, it would take a while to push this one to the dark, dusty recesses of his mind. Seeley was a good guy, maybe even Kenton's friend, and he'd seen how Booth looked at Dr. Brennan. He'd heard the way Booth talked about her; called her 'Bones.' A shame, it really was – those two made quite the pair. It was true – opposites did attract. Ah, well, there was nothing could do about it. Booth had been right – the lady was too damn good…. Well, maybe he could do Booth one small favor to ease the suffering he was about to go through; Kenton would make quick and relatively painless for the squint. Yeah, he'd still have slash her flesh, let the dogs devoured her flesh, and- and- use a key to… but he wouldn't do it like that serial killer had. Maybe it might clue the police in to the fact that it wasn't a Hollings killing, but still… he owed Booth the very small comfort of knowing that Dr. Brennan was dead first. Kenton would put a bullet in her brain before any of that…. And though he wouldn't admit it to himself, Kenton knew that it was for his own sake as well. At least, when he had killed for the mob, he hadn't had a constant everyday reminder of what he'd done, but, in the squint's case, he'd be seeing Booth nearly everyday.

If only the squint hadn't been so good, then he wouldn't have to kill her. Kenton wouldn't have accidentally blown up Booth instead of Brennan and Booth never would have phoned him from the hospital. That phone call would be the hardest part to get over. The words were still ringing in his ears,

_"You take care of her, Kenton," Booth's voice sounded raspy and tired over the telephone. _

_"Sure, what ever I can do to help, but why are you so worried? She's staked out in the lab." _

_" 'Cause, Kenton, I don't think I'd ever be able to forgive myself if something happened to Bones." _

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive! Sorta a weird chapter, I know, what did ya think?_


	4. Chapter 4

Dr. Jack Hodgins glanced over at Booth again as he swerved his small car around another tight bend in the alleyway. Maybe taking Booth out of the hospital hadn't been such a great idea... but Brennan was in trouble and, well, you just didn't argue with Booth; it was pointless. Arguing with Booth was about as effective as trying to change the subject when Brennan was discussing a murder victim's cause of death with Zack. Maybe Angela was right… maybe Booth was entranced with Brennan, or, as Booth called her, 'Bones.' So what if Hodgins was the 'bug and slime guy', he had eyes, too, and he was a 'squint,' as Booth put it; he was _supposed_ to be observant. Even if he hadn't noticed all the signs previously, Hodgins was pretty sure that the average person didn't forcefully discharge themselves from the hospital in order to save the person they worked with from being murdered.

Hodgins had over heard many a conversation between Angela and Brennan which consisted mainly of Brennan vehemently denying having any feelings what-so-ever for Booth. In latest one he had nearly interrupted, he had heard Angela called Booth Brennan's "knight in shining FBI standard issued body armor." That was all Hodgins had managed to hear though because Booth had arrived at that moment with something else on the Romanos. What a pair, who'd have thought that such different personalities could work so well together? No one had, except maybe Angela, who'd been trying to play matchmaker between them from the get go. She wasn't having much luck, though, both afore mentioned parties were in complete denial of any feelings they might have for each other.

Booth let out a small hiss of pain as the car hit a large pothole,

"Can't this thing go any _faster_?" Worry was evident in Booth's voice.

Hodgins bit the inside of his lip and glanced at the speedometer then immediately back at the road, face slightly paler.

'_Bad idea; shouldn't have looked_,' he thought. Brennan could be dieing right now and all the 'what ifs' and 'if onlys' and uncertainties and possibilities of her life could be washed away by some traitorous bastard with a gun and a F.B.I. badge. The feelings she had for Booth would be left unrealized and unspoken and would shadow Booth and all of her friends for the rest of their lives. Hodgins new that if he didn't do everything in his power to help save her, all of the 'what ifs' would kill him… and Booth.

Well, he wasn't going to let that happen. Setting his jaw and taking a firmer hold on the steering wheel, Hodgins floored the gas peddle.

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive and am inspired to write more!_


	5. Chapter 5

Dr. Temperance Brennan wanted to scream, cry. _No, NO!_ This couldn't be happening! Not after everything she'd been through! The death squads, and psychopaths, and the mobs, and murderers whose victims she'd identified hadn't managed to kill her; hadn't managed to steal that precious spark of life from her and they'd all had motives, they'd all tried and she'd evaded them all. But now, she was going to die at the hands of someone Booth had trusted - had considered almost a friend - to cover up another murder. It was a meaningless death; her one fear was becoming her reality.

Bones, it seemed that quite soon Booth's nickname for Tempe would be a very accurate description for all that would be left of her body; nothing but bones. It was ironic, really. Tempe shuddered, _nothing left for her parents to identify_. Kenton was going steal her identity; everything that was unique about her all of her ideas and thoughts, questions and opinions, and leave… nothing… nothing at all; nothing but pain and grief and tears. And though it pained her to think it, Kenton might still get away with it. Booth was in the hospital, powerless to help her even if he had known. What if Booth never knew that the man he had trusted had murdered her?

Tears pricked again in her eyes, but she ignored them; refused to acknowledge them. If she cried, Kenton would have won and she wouldn't let that happened. Kenton was still talking; making excuses for what he was doing as he used two pieces of brick to put a notch in the pocket knife he'd brought. Was there anything he hadn't thought of? He'd heard all of her findings on the Hollings victim - down to the last details. Viciously Temperance hoped one of the dogs bit him when he tried untied them. She mentally cursed him and the gag and the fact that he knew so much and the fact that she had trusted him, that they had all trusted him and that because of Kenton she would never see Booth again, never catch another killer, never set another family's minds at rest, never return another victim to their loved ones. How could one man destroy _so much_?

Temperance closed her eyes for a moment, tried to bring her breathing and heartbeat back under control. If only, if only, if only…. She had never realized how much of her life she'd put off for later, all the things she had wanted to say but had never found the time to, and now it was all too late; there was no more later. If she could only have another chance….

"I'm not like him at all. The things I have to do to you, you'll be gone first. You'll never know a thing. I never expected anyone to find out." So this was how it would end.

_Booth, Booth I'm so sorry I never said anything. Angela was right; I think I'm - _A bang cut off her thoughts, but she felt no pain. Her eyes snapped opened to see her second chance standing in the doorway holding his gun.

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive! No worries, this is _NOT _the last chapter, many more still to come!_


	6. Chapter 6

Special agent Seeley Booth scanned the corridors and various dingy rooms anxiously. Where was Bones? Was she still alright? Had Kenton hurt her, yet? Booth would never forgive himself if Kenton had harmed her. In all his attempts to protect her, what had he done? Dumped Bones right into the killer's lap. Maybe Booth hadn't _known_ Kenton was the murderer at the time, but he _should_ have. He had just handed her over.

Booth cursed his broken ribs and whatever else he had injured as his awkward steps caused him to stumble over an uneven section of flooring, jarring his ribs and causing intense waves of pain to flare throughout his entire body. He leaned gingerly against a wall to try and catch his breathe. Hodgins stopped next to Booth and some inept comment about pudding, but Booth wasn't paying any attention to him, he was focusing on a very faint and familiar voice, Kenton. Pushing himself away from the wall once more, Booth continued on in the frustratingly slow stumble that was the fastest he could move with Hodgins keeping pace beside and slightly behind him. After what felt like an eternity, but could have only been about a minute, Booth spotted a metallic object glinting slightly in the dim light of the abandoned building and his mind did a sudden flash back,

_Bones, how many keys do you need? _

_Car, house, lab, morgue, I need a lot of keys. _

And there they were; Bones's keys! Booth nudged the key ring with foot, unable to bend down to pick it up. Hodgins hurried over as another agent shone his flashlight on the keys and the squint picked them up. The other agents quickly changed course and headed in the new direction, somehow, Booth was now in the lead. As he rounded the last corner, Booth could suddenly hear Kenton's loud and clear; could see him standing in the room with dogs tied to the wall and a gun in his hand. Oh, no.

"You'll never know a thing. I never expected anyone to find out." Kenton aimed his gun. Booth never new how he was suddenly in the doorway, he just fired his gun. Kenton's hand snapped back as the bullet caught it and the traitorous agent let out a cry of pain, but Booth didn't even notice as all the other agents circled the downed man to prevent him from fleeing, all of his attention was focused on the slight, auburn-haired sitting in the center of the room on a chair her hands tied together and suspended from a construction hook of some kind.

_She's alive! She's alive! She's alive! She's _ALIVEWith that one and only though echoing in his head, Booth hurried over to where Bones was bound and gagged in a chair as fast as he could while limping and still holding his broken ribs. He pulled the gag down and out of her mouth then tackled the problem of 'unhooking' her hands. He tried to lift her with his arms, but that was not good; damn broken ribs! Then, in a flash of inspiration, Booth stuck his head between her arms carefully rapping his own arms around her waist, lifting her up and then placing her feet on the ground as gently as he could. He expected her to immediately lift her arms from around his neck in the embarrassed manner she normally used when ever they came into physical contact, but instead she clung to him tightly. Booth could feel her entire body trembling as he gently rubbed his hand up and down her back,

"It's okay. I'm right here. It's all over. Everything's going to be alright now."

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive and am inspired to write more! And there is more, lots more, still yet to come! So, review!_


	7. Chapter 7

Temperance Brennan clung to Booth as he lifted her hands from their hanging confinement. She couldn't stop shaking; she wasn't going to die, she wasn't going to have her voice, her very life, snatched away from her by death's cold claws. Her knight in shining F.B.I. standard issue body armor had arrived at the eleventh hour and saved her, though she noticed that her knight was sans armor – Booth was lacking the protection of his normal bullet proof vest. Relief flooded through her and Tempe leaned her forehead gently against Booth's uninjured shoulder as he gently rubbed her back mumbling soothing words. She pulled away from him slightly but kept her arms encircling his neck,

"How did you get out of the hospital?" she asked eyeing him curiously, but unprepared to lose the comforting contact of his body.

"Hodgins gave me a ride. Maybe…maybe you could give me a ride back though, huh?" he smiled painfully at her his head below hers due to his hunched shoulders, he looked hopeful. She smiled and hugged him again unwilling to let go or break contact even after another F.B.I. had cut the rope from around her wrists. Tempe heard another of the agents saying that she was suffering from mild shock, but she didn't care. Booth was here, and she wasn't dead; everything was really going to be all right.

Booth had discharged himself from the hospital and gotten Hodgins to drive him here all because of her. Maybe there was some truth in Angela's claim that Tempe's feelings for Booth weren't all one sided. Booth didn't seem too eager to release his hold on her either. From the safety Booth's arms, Tempe glowered at Kenton as he was led to a police squad car. At that moment if he had been rotting in hell, she'd have been very happy. Kenton at least had the decency to look ashamed and guilty as he glanced over at them. Booth leaned his cheek against her head,

"You know what, Bones? I'm ready to go home." She glanced up at him,

"You mean back to the hospital." Booth snapped his fingers a tried to look disappointed,

"Darn, was hoping you wouldn't remember that!" Tempe grinned and shook her head tiredly at him; it had been a very long day. Arm in arm with Booth awkwardly limping and Tempe walking, they headed towards one of the black F.B.I. SUVs. Tempe smiled to herself,

_I really don't know what I'd do without you, Booth! _

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive and am inspire to write more! Lots more! And I've still got more ideas in the works for this fic yet!_


	8. Chapter 8

Dr. Jack Hodgins watched quietly from the doorway as Booth and Brennan embraced; he was content to watch the action from the side lines for now. Angela had certainly gotten that relation right; the only problem now would be disentangling them once they all got back to the hospital - that should be interesting. He'd never seen Brennan so shaken before; he hadn't thought it was possible. A quiet thought crept into his mind; she's alright. She's alive. Other than a bit of a bump on the head she's fine….

Hodgins hadn't realized that he just how worried he'd been until the flood of relief that thought brought nearly knocked him off his feet. He leaned against the doorframe and continued to watch Booth and Brennan. Was she crying? Was that possible? Well, to give her credit, Brennan _had_ just nearly been murdered…. Conspiracies were far less nerve wracking when they didn't involve you. For once, Hodgins had been right; his thinking aloud had partially saved Brennan's life. What would have happened if he'd kept hi thoughts to himself? Well, here was one more reason to be openly opinionated; it saved lived. One of Booth's fellow agents pulled out a pocket knife and carefully cut the core from around Brennan's wrists, but she kept her arms entwined around Booth's neck even after the agent who had cut the rope tried to pry her loose. Booth merely shooed the other man away. Two other agents were standing just within Hodgins's hearing also watching Booth and Brennan,

"Amazing she's still alive."

"Yeah, well, from the bruises on Kenton, it's amazing _he's_ still alive."

"He wouldn't be if her hands hadn't been tied, though, I must say, I would have minded much."

"Mmmm… yeah, me either. The bastard deserves to be knocked around a bit more than that."

"He'll be spending the rest of his days in prison."

"Good."

"What ever happened to being neutral?"

"Hey, Booth's a good guy. Can you imagine what he would have gone through if Kenton _had_ killed the squint?"

"They don't have a relationship; they're just partners."

"How would you know that?"

"I asked Booth."

"Hmpth. No relationship my foot!"

"She's just in shock."

"No, she's just in love. _They're_ just in love."

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive and am inspired to write more! In case you're wondering, yes, this fic will continue on to the end of the episode and then a little past! J _


	9. Chapter 9

Angela Montenegro paced nervously up and down the length of Tempe's office. Where was she? Brennan should have been here nearly an hour ago! Her friend wasn't picking up her cell and Angela hadn't managed to contact Hodgins either, who had gone to the hospital to visit Booth, to see if Tempe was there. There was a ticked-off serial killer on the loose and mob heavy hitters after her and now she was missing! Jumped as her cell phone began to ring and vibrate in her pocket,

"Hello?" she answered without her usual gusto, fearing the worst, hoping that she was just overreacting like normal. She sighed as she heard Hodgins's cheerful voice,

"Hey, Angela! We caught Kenton, just in time, too, and Brennan's fine; she just got a bit of a bump on the head." Angela's jaw dropped,

"You caught Kenton? Brennan's only got a bump to the head? What's going on!"

"It turns out it was Kenton and Hollings is no more." She tried not to shout in frustration at this even _more_ cryptic message,

"Hodgins, is Brennan there?"

"Yeah."

"Could you please let me talk to her?"

"Okay." A moment later Angela heard the reassuring sound of Tempe's voice across the phone,

"Hi, Angela," Brennan sounded exhausted.

"Sweetie, let me be frank; what the hell is going on? What is Hodgins talking about?"

"It turns out that it was Kenton, the other F.B.I. agent we were working with, who killed that mob boss and he killed Hollings."

"That doesn't explain _you_ having a bump on your head. What did you do this time? Try to play special agent while Booth is out?"

"No, Kenton kidnapped me and was going to murder me to cover up his original crime. Booth arrived just in time." Tempe stated all of this in a detached manner, as though it had happened to someone else.

"No, wait, Booth's still in the hospital. How'd he get there?"

"He figured out what was going on, discharged himself, and got Hodgins to drive him here. He arrived just in time."

"Really? Have you thanked him yet?"

"No." Angela sighed; it looked like she was going to have to walk Tempe through this one,

"Alright, Sweetie, when you get back to the hospital, you are going to thank him for saving your life, and then you are going to kiss him."  
"Angela! I can't do that! It's Booth, he's my partner; we work together!"

"Brennan, I know and I don't really care. That man just came running in at the eleventh hour after being blown up to save you from being murdered. Normal men don't do that and I'm speaking from experience, here. The least you can do is kiss the poor man!"

"Angela, you are impossible!" Angela smiled at that comment; it meant that Brennan was about to do what she'd been told to do – for once.

"I try, I really do. Where would you be without me?"

"Whatever!" Brennan rather annoyed. "I'll see you when you get to the hospital."

"Alright, you had better have kissed him by the time I get there!" There was an annoyed sigh on the other end of the line and a click as Tempe hung up. Angela smiled to herself; well it had taken them long enough. Maybe they'd actually go somewhere now with all those pent up emotions they had…. She grabbed her coat and headed for her car. This could get interesting… yes, very interesting….

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive! Review are like shiny objects… hehehe…. They make me _**want**_ to write more!_


	10. Chapter 10

Dr. Temperance Brennan stared at man sitting next to her in the back of the black F.B.I. SUV. Her mind felt num and she still hadn't let go of Booth's hand, even though he had fallen asleep almost as soon as he had sat down. Why? Why had he done all this for her?

_Because I'm his partner, but do partners normally do this sort of thing for each other? _

Booth murmured something quietly in his sleep and Temp smiled. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, but also open and vulnerable. When asleep, his whole emotional mask fell away and left the pain he felt written plainly on his face. Temperance she could sleep as well or even just close her eyes, but every time she did, she could hear the barking of the dogs or the explosion from the bomb in her fridge. So much had happened in the past forty-eight hours, Booth had nearly been killed once, and she had nearly been shot twice.

She slowly leaned her head against the headrest on her seat and thought about what Angela had said to her. It wasn't right for her to kiss Booth, though, was it? They were partners and still had to work together, a relationship would probably get in the way of their efficiency.

_Wait a minute. Where did having a relationship come from? If I kiss him, it doesn't mean that we would then have to have a relationship. _If _I were to kiss him, that is, but we're partners. Not that I wouldn't like to kiss him… whoa, where did _THAT _come from! It must be all the stress I've been going through. I'm not really losing my mind; I'm just suffering from temporary insanity brought on by stress… yes, that must be it. _

Tempe massaged her forehead gently with the fingers of her right hand. Not that there actually was such a thing as temporary insanity brought on by stress… but she could always pretend she was thinking logically and that she didn't strongly want to do what Ange had suggested….

No, it wouldn't work; Tempe couldn't lie to herself, especially when she couldn't even come up with a feasible excuse. Brennan sighed, she was losing her mind and the scary part was: she was enjoying it. She glanced over at Booth again,

_This is all your fault and you'd better appreciate that fact because this will be a once in a lifetime experience: Dr. Temperance Brennan loses her mind and actually acts on one of Angela's suggestions. _

_I'll wait 'til we're back at the hospital and he's awake._ She smiled to herself, and wondered how long it would be before they were back.

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive and am inspired to write more! Much more! Which is what I am going to write:) _


	11. Chapter 11

"Okay I'll see you tomorrow." Temperance turned to leave and something inside her twinged with guilt. She could hear the slight flatness in Booth's reply,

"Yeah, have a good night."

"Thanks." Tempe walked slowly out of the small hospital room. What was wrong with seeing David? He was nice. He was polite and interesting.

_He's not Booth._ What did that have to do with anything? _It did when he saved me. I was in shock, though. I didn't go through with Ange's advice… but we're partners, I shouldn't be kissing my partner! It didn't seem such a bad idea in the car, though…. I was in shock; I wasn't thinking rationally! But not thinking rationally… wasn't that bad. _Tempe stopped and glanced over her shoulder, back through the door to the room she had just left. Booth looked so … vulnerable and helpless in that hospital bed and those were both words she didn't normally associate with special agent Seeley Booth. That was when her head suddenly started to pound.

_He needs me. And I… and I … need … him. _Tempe reached into her pocket and fumbled for her cell phone. Taking a deep breathe she dialed David's number. _I've got to do this. I can't live like this any longer. _

"Hello?" David answered his phone promptly on the second ring.

"Hi, David. It's me." Tempe ran a hand nervously through her hair with her unoccupied hand.

"Oh, Temperance, hello again!" He paused then asked, "Is something wrong?"

"I can't make it to dinner tonight," she replied flatly.

"Why? What happened?"

"I've got a terrible headache and I just can't make it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. How about Thursday night then?"

"No," Temperance said hurriedly. _Here comes the hard part…. _

"Alright," he sounded rather confused. "Well, what night works for you, then?"

"Actually, David, I just don't think this is going to work," Her words came out jumbled and fast. "It's- I mean- I don't think-"

"Oh," the voice on the other end of the line was solemn and subdued now. "So I was intruding on something, wasn't I?"

"No, I mean… actually… yes," Tempe's mind reeled as she this to David in a calm level voice. "It seems that you were."

"Oh… well… I guess I'll see you around…."

"Bye, David," And with that Tempe snapped her phone shut and turned back towards the hospital room and the man who was responsible for all this. For some reason, Tempe felt slightly lighter as she walked, as if, admitting her feelings to David about Booth had made everything… real. It was strange, really. Oh, well. She smiled to herself. She'd been to scared before and had talked herself out of Angela's suggestion, but now… she wasn't scared any more and she wasn't acting just out of shock, either. This was, for once, what _she_ wanted to do with her life. Tempe wasn't going to put her life on hold any longer. Tonight was the night that a certain FBI agent was going to get the surprise of his life!

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive and am inspired to write more! What you've all been waiting for is coming in the next chapter! Hehehe… Sorry about the extended period of time since my last up date! I've been sick. _

_ANNOUNCEMENT! I am opening up for requests on any stories you'd like to see me write or episodes that you'd like to read extensions for because, unfortunately, this fic is drawing to a close! **Suggestions are welcome! ** So please tell me what you'd like to read next!_


	12. Chapter 12

Booth wasn't sure what had woken him. Maybe it had been the quiet words of the commercials still flickering across the television in the dark. Maybe it had been a nurse silently walking past his hospital room. Maybe it had been a slight movement of the small, delicate hand still clasped in his own hand. Or, maybe, it had been another nightmare, but he didn't remember a nightmare. Then Booth heard the faint sound which had woken him and felt the grip on his hand tighten slightly. Booth's gaze shifted down to the auburn haired woman holding his hand as she whimpered in her sleep again. He frowned; Dr Temperance Brennan having nightmares? Well, after what they'd just gone through, nightmares were practically required.

Carefully, rather regretfully, Booth let go of her hand and awkwardly reached out to stroke her hair in a manner of comfort he remembered from when he was a child. His fingers gingerly brushed against her silky hair and his voice was hoarse and faint as he tried to whisper soothing words through the darkness,

"Hey, Bones, it's alright. It's all over now. You're safe, Kenton's locked away, and I'm fine. Bones, Bones, Bones. You're safe. You're here with me. Everything's alright." Her whimpering slowly faded into nothing. Booth half smiled to himself as best he could with the bruises on his face. She looked so peaceful lying there, albeit, uncomfortable in her awkward position. In the dark, he couldn't see her eyes slowly slide open and glaze up at him. He didn't know she was listening as he quietly mused aloud to himself,

"You look so peaceful when you sleep, you know that Bones? And almost more beautiful than when you're awake," Booth grinned to himself as he continued his one-sided conversation, "'cause you're not mad or ticked at me cause of something stupid I've done." Booth lapsed into silence for a little while, continuing to stroke Bones's hair. She waited patiently to say if Booth would say anything else. Her wait was not in vain,

"Gods, I can't believe Kenton- that he would- After all we'd been through- but I should've- All the evident pointed- Gods, Bones! I don't know what I'd do without you! I just don't know…." His voice trailed off into the darkness as Booth suddenly realized that he'd voiced his thoughts. He felt a shutter run through Bones's body and he stared down at the Forensic Anthropologist in concern. She wasn't having another nightmare was she?

"Hey, Bones, no more nightmares," he whispered.

"No, no more nightmares, Booth," whispered Bones in response, raising herself onto her elbows and staring at Seeley right in the eye. Booth started, instinctively jerking back his hand, letting out a restrained moan as he jarred his broken ribs and shoulder.

"Sorry," apologized Bones reaching out to take his hand again. "I didn't mean to startle you." Booth stared at her mutely. What had she heard? He should have known not to assume she was asleep!

"Booth, hey Booth!" she said quietly, waving a hand in front of his eyes. "I need to tell you something." Booth bit his lip and words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them,

"Listen, Bones, I'm sorry. I know we're partners and should have no kind of feelings that might get in the way of a case and I'll-" Booth stopped as Bones placed a hand firmly over his mouth. He stared at her in amazement. What was going on? His jaw would have dropped if she hadn't been holding it tightly and gently shut.

"That's not what I meant," she hesitated, "Seeley."

_No, this isn't real_, thought Booth. _I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming and I'm going to be very disappointed when I wake up._ Bones continued to stared at him steadily,

"Today, I finally realized that I can't just always put off my life until later because, today, there nearly wasn't a later and I finally got some of my priorities straitened out. Thank you." She leaned forward and that was when Booth decided it wasn't a dream; it was too real. He felt a warmth suddenly start to spread throughout his entire being.

"I don't know what I'd do without you either, Seeley," Bones whispered next to his ear, then gently stretched down and kissed him.

**The End **

_A/N: Review, review, review! It is your reviews upon which I thrive and am inspired to write more stories! Unfortunately, this is the end of this story, but there are others yet to come! _

**_I am still taking requests for other fics people would like to see me write! If you have a request, please let me know! _**

_Yours faithfully and always, _

_Agent Malkere_


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